Lead battolyser innovation to support renewable energy ambitions

Prof Dani Strickland, lecturer at Loughborough University and first-time speaker at ELBC, joins the blog series to share the exciting new development underway of a lead battolyser. Tipped to be an innovative advancement for the renewable energy space, hear from Prof Strickland on the work of her team from Loughborough University.

Prof Dani Strickland, lecturer at Loughborough University and first-time speaker at ELBC, joins the blog series to share the exciting new development underway of a lead battolyser. Tipped to be an innovative advancement for the renewable energy space, hear from Prof Strickland on the work of her team from Loughborough University.

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Renewable energy is key to achieving net-zero carbon emissions for countries around the globe, and energy storage batteries will be a valuable component to compensate for any mismatch between generation and consumption.

With the transition to renewable sources of power such as wind and solar which are intermittent in nature, the unpredictability in generation means energy storage and innovative technologies which overcome these renewable energy challenges are vital.

Battolysers offer an innovative solution for battery storage and hydrogen generation. In simple terms a battolyser is a battery that can also be used as an electrolyser. Instead of trying to suppress the generation of hydrogen, the battolyser deliberately encourages hydrogen production and removes the products of electrolysis through the electrolyte. By using a battolyser and/or integrating this with a lead battery, this will help to reduce the burden on grid infrastructure and will allow for more flexible power management at a single site.

Building on the mature network of manufacturing and recycling of the 150-year-old lead battery industry, this innovative battolyser offers an exciting new prospect for renewable energy storage.

Our team at Loughborough has started the design process to take the small-scale research to proper demonstrator scale.

I’m excited to join ELBC in Lyon in September and share the work of my research team in developing a lead battolyser and the stimulating challenges and opportunities ahead for the technology.